Amaranthine
by orsumfenix
Summary: Lorien is, to be honest, not having as much fun as he thinks he should be in this new body of his. Really, as if the impending Mogodorian Invasion isn't enough trouble, he's suddenly got to deal with emotions, bodily limits and annoying guys like Mark James that are desperate to be his friend.
1. Dude, It's Lorien

**This fic stems from my complete and utter belief that Lorien is the most underused character EVER and no one can convince me otherwise.**

**This is kind of an AU where Eight's body WAS strong enough to be a vessel for Lorien, and so Lorien is not going to just sit around and let the Mogs invade if Lorien has any say in the matter. Also an AU where Sarah stays to fight with John instead of leaving to meet up with Mark. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lorien Legacies. I just own this fic which is basically: Lorien, being a bamf and both saving humanity and coming to terms with human emotions and restrictions, and some Mark James, because why the hell not? **

**Anyway, please enjoy and review! **

Almost as soon as he has regained form, Lorien decides to do something about the whole invading-army thing. He briefly looks at the three children staring in shock at him – _Adamus Sutekh, Numbers Seven and Six_ – before coming to the conclusion that they're not worth his time and walks out.

Quite miraculously, the bullets that greet him outside pass right through – not that he's surprised, of course, but still. Those shooting at him certainly are.

Lorien walks straight past them and raises a casual hand, as if greeting someone. The shooters all go flying backwards and he lets a satisfied smile slide onto his new face. That's quite enough of _that_, thank you very much.

He simply walks on, ignoring the pounding of footsteps behind him, co-ordinating this new body as though it has always been his own. He can get used to this, he thinks with something akin to contentness. It is a strong body, one with a multitude of legacies, and it helps that his power has given them all a rather big boost. He will be quite capable in this form, he is sure. That is good. With Number Eight's body, he stands a chance – a _very good_ one – of defeating Setrakus Ra.

And won't _that_ be a sight to see.

"Eight!" a voice calls out behind him, and Lorien turns to see the healer – Number Seven – running towards him with desperation written all over her face. "Eight, please, come back!"

She stops dead when she sees his expression, one of power and recognition – but not of friendship, or maybe even something more. No, this is the recognition that a grandfather might give to a child he had forgotten about, only to remember upon meeting them years later.

"Your friend is gone, child," he proclaims, turning away even as he says so. "He is at peace now."

Calling upon the legacies of this body, and intensifying them with his own might, Lorien teleports away, and finds himself on a road.

It is here that he is hit by Mark James' car.

* * *

><p>"Oh my god!" a horrified-sounding voice exclaims as a muscled young man runs out to aid the person that he just ran over. "Are you alright?"<p>

Lorien blinks a couple times, trying to clear his head, before his gaze settles on the guy kneeling awkwardly in front of him.

"Mark James," he announces, immediately making the owner of the name frown.

"How do you know my name?" he demands, suspicious of this being who appeared out of seemingly nowhere knowing something about him on sight. It's creepy, especially with the pending Mogodorian army that is soon to be arriving – or is already arrived.

Lorien doesn't bother answering – what a waste of time that would be – and instead moves his eyes (which now look like Number Eight's normal ones – he's been sure to remove all glowing) to the truck sitting just a little away, the thing that presumably hit him. It is good that it did so. It survived, proving that it is strong.

"That is your vehicle?" he asks, not bothering to wait for an answer before striding over and taking in every inch. He was right – it is sturdy, made of strong stuff, much like the body he now inhabits. It takes only several more seconds of consideration before he decides that, "it will do."

"What?" Mark James squawks, raising himself up and marching over to Lorien. The powerful being regards this man as he does so. Strange human. "It will do for _what_?!"

"My purposes, of course. I will be taking your car," Lorien informs matter-of-factly, wondering why it is not already obvious to this man. He walks over to the driver's seat and climbs inside the car through the still-open door. He doesn't close it, seeing as Mark James is suddenly standing in the way. He blinks in surprise. What is this human _doing_?

"Dude!" the guy exclaims, looking a mixture of shocked and enraged. "You can't just _take _my car!"

Lorien blinks again. It is getting to be quite a habit.

"Why not?"

"Because it's _mine_," Mark whines out, looking as though on the border of having a heart-attack. "You can't just _take_ someone else's car. You have to get your own."

Lorien frowns, although this is a simple question, one that he an easily answer.

"I do not have my own," he states plainly, seeing as that _should_ be obvious. "And I am attempting to stop a world-domination."

Mark falters at that statement, doing a double take at Lorien with wide, surprised eyes. It looks comically amusing, and Lorien would laugh if he did stuff like that. Instead, he settles with letting the corners of his mouth turn up a little, loosening his tight brow as he does so.

"You – you're one of those Loric guys, aren't you?" he practically shouts – pointing at him and managing to sound an equal balance of scared and excited. Lorien arches a brow, not entirely sure how to answer that question, as he is not entirely sure what Mark James means.

"I suppose so, yes," he finally relents, figuring it's the closest description to what he is. He expects this to satisfy the human's curiosity but, alas, it does not.

"Well, that's great, because I am, too!" the human exclaims, causing Lorien's other brow to raise, giving the boy a scan. He is _definitely_ human, no doubt about it. "Well, I'm not," he hurries to amend at the other boy's look. "But I'm working with you guys, kinda. I'm helping get the word out about the Mogodorian Invasion." He says it proudly, as though expecting Lorien to suddenly herald him as some kind of hero.

Lorien will do no such thing.

"Hmm," he murmurs disinterestedly, calling on his knowledge of Earth to try and turn the car on. When he discovers the missing key, still resting in Mark James' sweaty hand, Lorien simply puts his hand on the steering wheel and channels the power of telekinesis to get the engine running.

Mark James gawps.

"You're actually doing it, aren't you?" he asks, sounding slightly dazed for no apparent reason. Lorien cocks a head. What is this human going on about? In the single conversation that they've had so far he's managed to confuse him more than millennia of watching humankind has. "You're actually stealing my car."

"Borrowing," Lorien corrects on instinct, then grimaces at how horribly _human_ he sounds. Then he turns away, leaning back comfortably in the seat and deciding to forget all about this conversation. He needs this car to get around, and the human will be thanking him in the long run. It wouldn't do for Earth to be destroyed because one little, insignificant human couldn't handle losing their little toy.

Mark James' nose scrunches up in annoyance, but he straightens up and looks determined anyway. Lorien is already exasperated with him.

"Well then," Mark says, and Lorien wonders what confusing thing the human is going to come out with next. "You'd better take me with you."

Lorien blinks.

That… _was_ unexpected.

However, having a human ally could help in the long run. He could get someone to do the more menial jobs for him, he could learn about the Mogodorian army through a mortal source with more experience in this world, and he could get closer to understanding the only human that has managed to surprise him for thousands of years.

"Get in," he commands, and the human grins before climbing into the passenger's seat.

Lorien ignores the part of himself that crisply informs that he just wanted some company.

* * *

><p>"Why do you need a car, anyway?" Mark James asks almost as soon as they've set off and are driving down the road. Due to the look of intense curiosity and excitement on his face, Lorien revels that it is a wonder he even waited that long.<p>

"I do not understand your question, child," he crisply informs, slowly becoming more adept at controlling the vehicle and able to focus less on that and more on the conversation at hand. Mark James appears to blanch, but, Lorien has to admire, he carries on regardless.

"Well," Mark says, and Lorien mentally prepares himself for the next odd thing the human will say. "You teleported here, right? I mean, literally, you just…" He makes an odd gesture with his hands, one that seems to have no reference to the current conversation. "_Poof_. Appeared."

Oh. That makes more sense now. But only a little. Still, Lorien can see where this little human is coming from, poor thing. He seems to think that nothing he finds unordinary can possibly exist. How wrong he is.

"I did, yes," he says shortly, taking a second to glance at Mark James before deciding that it is pointless and looking away sharply. "Your point being?"

Mark James looks even more confused than Lorien _feels_, and that is saying something, he decides. Human minds must be so small, it must be terribly difficult for them to actually get anything _done_.

"My point being," Mark James draws out slowly, as if Lorien is stupid. The god-like being wants to roll his eyes at the irony of it all. "Why can't you just… poof off to somewhere else? Like, why do you need _my car_ to get to places?" He still sounds rather bitter about that. Lorien wants to warn him not to hold grudges against people. The Mogodorians held a grudge against the Loric, and look how that turned out.

Still, Lorien must grant that the human poses a good questions, coming from a lower life form.

"Because," he answers simply, and he supposes the answer should be rather simple, thinking about it. "I plan to go against Setrakus Ra and put an end to this ridiculous invasion of his. If I am to do that, I will need to be working at full power. I cannot afford to waste it on something which can easily be replaced by something else – for example, transport."

Mark James doesn't really seem to be paying attention to the last part. He seemed to stop at 'invasion'.

"You're really planning on fighting Setrakus Ra?" he asks, sounding impressed, and Lorien briefly wonders how Mark James knows who Setrakus Ra is before some part of his being mentions something about 'the internet' and 'hacking' and puts a stop to _those_ questions.

At Lorien's nod, Mark's face turns into awe.

"Dude," he breathes, causing Lorien to cock an eyebrow in a frighteningly human gesture. "_Awesome_."

Lorien goes to correct him, runs the statement through his head and realises that it is quite adequate at summing him up, and simply nods affirmatively instead.

"Quite," is his statement, and something seems to shock Mark out of his reverie.

"Wait," he says, brain seeming to be catching up with something, and Lorien wonders just how many questions a single human can _have_. "Before you called me 'child'." He looks so very confused. "What was all that about?"

"I am thousands of years your senior," Lorien answers blandly, faintly wondering why this piece of information seems to shock Mark James before promptly deciding that it is not worth wondering.

"That's, um…" Mark James' voice is faint. Lorien lets the corners of his mouth quirk up with slight amusement. "That's nice." He hesitates, then, "how many thousands of years, exactly?"

"Many," Lorien answers shortly. "Overall I have lost count, though it is safe to say that I am a lot older than you."

"Oh," is the short reply, and Lorien doesn't bother answering because suddenly there is an army of Mogodorians in the way.

* * *

><p>They're standing on the dusty road, looking very much like they're trying to be imposing and failing dismally, and normally Lorien would put up a fight but Mark James is beside him and he decides in a split second that Mark James is too valuable of an ally to die and transports both them and the car well, well away.<p>

They appear somewhere – Lorien's not really concerned where, it looks abandoned enough – and Mark James lets out a sound suspiciously like a yelp and leaps out of the car, shock and panic written into his features. Lorien barely spares him a glance.

"Get in the car."

"Dude," Mark James says, and Lorien wonders what that word _actually_ means because Mark James has already used it many times in many different contexts and he finds it stupid that he is getting worked up by something so simple as the definition of a _word_. "What just happened?"

"_Get in the car_," Lorien stresses, gritting his teeth and feeling so, _so _human. He waits for Mark to clamber back in, all wide-eyed and slack-jawed before breathing out harshly through his nose, letting the annoyance seep openly through. "There was an army of Mogodorians standing in the road. I teleported us out, and therefore used up valuable energy." He frowns, cross at this. "That was an annoyance."

"Dude," Mark James says again, and Lorien wonders just how many times the human is planning on fitting that word into their conversations. "Where did they even _come from_?"

"I do not know, nor do I care," Lorien replies flippantly, leaning forwards in his seat then backwards again just for something to do. He ignores Mark James' flabbergasted look and continues on regardless. "What concerns _me_ is how much energy I have used up."

"What about where we are?" Mark James carries on, tone bordering on hysterical. Lorien frowns. Humans. Always overreacting. Lorien shakes his head.

"A mild inconvenience."

"You don't know, do you?"

"It does not matter," Lorien proclaims, on the one hand wishing that this stupid human would just shut up already and on the other hand wishing that Mark James would continue to talk and distract him from the current situation. "Our location will be discovered shortly, when I figure out a way to do so."

Mark shoots him a look which really shouldn't irk Lorien as much as it does.

"So basically, we're lost," he states blandly, and Lorien feels a surge of annoyance rising up to the surface.

"We're not _lost_," Lorien snaps, losing control of – hell, actually _feeling_ proper emotions for the first time that day. "I just don't know where we are, that's all."

"Dude," Mark James retaliates with, and Lorien resists the urge to roll his eyes at the _humanness _he is feeling (and it is. Not. Fun). "That's kinda the definition of _lost_."

"Shut up!" is his simple response, and he wants to explode because even _he_ knows how utterly _lame_ that comeback is. "I will discover it shortly, so just-" And then he just stops and stares because for _some_ god-unknown reason, Mark James is _laughing_.

"Dude," he gets out in between breaths, and what is it with that _word_? "Am I totally having banter with an _alien_?"

Lorien considers it and supposes that, yes, in a way, Mark James _is_, but he doesn't get a chance to respond with this before there is _a hand on his arm_.

Lorien stares at the hand with utter confusion and slight nervousness (not that he'd ever admit it) before Mark James notices and stops laughing, awkwardly removing it. Lorien doesn't even bother to thank him.

"So, what now?" Mark asks after several silent minutes. Lorien breathes out slowly, looks around the deserted wilderness they have somehow found themselves in, and knits his brows with something akin to worry.

"I don't know," he answers honestly.

* * *

><p><strong>(Amaranthine means everlasting or unending, much like Lorien. I also view Lorien as genderless, taking on whatever body that Lorien is currently inhabiting - in this case, Eight. If Lorien took the body of a female, then Lorien would be a she - however, in this case, a he.)<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed, and please REVIEW! **


	2. Apparently, It's Mark

**_Thanks to those of you who supported me last chapter. I'm aware that this isn't the most... normal of fics and the idea is really random, but I do appreciate the reviews, follows and favs! _**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own, don't claim to, just think that Lorien should have gotten more pages. _**

* * *

><p>Mark James is an accepting type of guy. Alright, he'll admit, not <em>always<em> – he certainly reacted badly to Sarah's relationship with John Smith, for example. And he's never been the nicest guy in the world, not with the way he's treated Sam Goode and, well, _Sarah Hart_ and all that.

But, still – he likes to think that he took the new of John Smith being an alien rather well. And the fact that there's an impending army of evil aliens planning to attack his planet. And the fact that, for the most part, Sam Goode was _right_. All of those were pretty unexpected, and yet he managed to accept those, overcome his fear and doubts and do something about them.

Lorien… is a whole different type of unexpected.

A _new_ type of unexpected, one that comes in the form of being all-powerful and all-knowing and all-_annoying_. A type of unexpected in unintentional witty banter, in appearing out of nowhere and stealing his car and…

And Mark maybe kind of likes him.

Because Lorien is new, and interesting, and unlike the rest of this literally alien situation that Mark has managed to find himself in the middle of, Lorien isn't dangerous. Well, he probably _is_, but not towards Mark.

Plus, the way the that dude didn't even bother fighting – just beamed them out of there like something in Star Trek? So. Cool.

Mark is kind of seeing Sam Goode's attraction towards science fiction now (or science _fact_, apparently), but he'd never admit that in a million years so instead he chooses to stare at the map that Lorien has handed him, like it's supposed to be of any use.

"You know," he says, sighing and putting it down because apparently Lorien just_ doesn't get_ these things. "I can't just _look_ at a map and straight away know where we are."

Lorien, like he thought, doesn't seem to get it.

"Why not?" the being doesn't ask so much as demands, frown still firmly plastered on his face. "What is the use of a map, if not what you stated? Isn't that why it was in your car?"

Mark breathes out of his nostrils harshly, still kinda irritated by this guy, interesting or not. Honestly, Mark hasn't realised how much _human knowledge_ he's taken for granted up until now.

(And he knows that Lorien is not human, but he's not quite sure what, exactly, Lorien _is_, and so he's just going to have to refer to him as a 'being' for now.)

"A map is no use," Mark says slowly, dragging every word as though Lorien is stupid (and, to be honest, he kinda is getting that impression right now). "If you don't know where you are in the _first place_."

"And that is what you're supposed to be finding out," Lorien shoots back, just as slowly, and Mark doesn't think that 'the being' can quite pull it off. Probably because, in context, it's Lorien's entire fault that they're even _in_ this situation and, therefore, Mark cannot be blamed.

"I thought you were supposed to be all-knowing, anyway," he states after a couple moments of silence, smirking at Lorien's irritated face at his words. "So how come you can't just snap your fingers and find out where we are?"

Lorien's frown grows, if that's even possible, as he looks to the side and crosses his arms in a very human gesture.

"… My powers would appear to have been… toned-down somewhat," he finally informs, sounding decidedly unhappy about this. "I suspect that it has something to do with the body that I am currently inhabiting."

"Ah, of course," Mark drawls sarcastically, because like Lorien's oh-so-sophisticated vocabulary is supposed to clear _everything_ up. Then the words dawn on him, and suddenly it's, "Wait, this isn't your body?"

Lorien actually looks a little amused at what Mark suspects is a blatant act of stupidity on his part, as he shoots the being a weird look. He supposes that ever since John Smith jumped into a blazing inferno and emerged unharmed his life _has_ gotten a little weird, but having a body resistant to fire proof is definitely easier to accept than having a body that _isn't yours_.

"_Of course_ this isn't my body," Lorien proclaims as though this should be obvious, and Mark can't help but roll his eyes at the whole holier-than-thou attitude. "Did you honestly thing that a being as superior as _me_ needs something as basic as a _body_?"

That last sentence is said way too casually, and Lorien even says it like having a body is disgusting and beneath him and that it is revolting to even _think_ of something like that. Mark decides to rain on his parade and point out the obvious.

"So how come you're in a body _now_, huh?" he asks, and Lorien apparently can't formulate a decent comeback for that because he just huffs and looks out of the window, where he doesn't have to make any eye-contact with Mark.

_Well if __**that's**__ the way it's gonna be…_he thinks, beginning to turn the engine on and drive the car away from its previous position. Lorien graces him with a sharp look and a slight frown, eyeing up the steering wheel.

"What are you doing?" he finally asks as the car begins to move forwards, his curiosity apparently winning out over his dignity. Mark barely spares him a glance, instead concentrating on getting the car going properly. He barely passed his driving exam, and having an irritating yet still kind of funny alien in the passenger's seat isn't helping any.

"What does it look like?" he retorts rhetorically, before remembering that Lorien has displayed a tendency to be stupid in these aspects and he'd rather not end up in some all-out verbal war as Lorien tries to find a way of saying "I don't know" without embarrassing himself. "I'm driving towards civilisation."

"Why?" Lorien asks, apparently unable to think of these things for himself. Mark grits his teeth momentarily, just _knowing_ that the only reason he can tolerate this is because of hanging out with Kevin for all those years.

"Because," he says slowly and simply, because Lorien may claim to be thousands of years older than him but he's like a child in so many aspects. "I was thinking that maybe we could just _ask_ someone where we are. You know, seeing as both of us are pretty much useless at figuring I tout and we're both equally as lost -"

"We're not lost!" Lorien snaps, probably more on instinct than anything else, and Mark doesn't even bother resisting the urge to roll his eyes and lets them gloriously do so.

"How is it?" he asks, determined to bring Lorien down a few notches. "That there's a Mogodorian army and that, _that's_ no problem for you, but you can't cope with a simple thing like being _lost_."

Lorien doesn't answer, just folds his arms and glares out of the window. _If looks could kill…_

Mark has apparently made Lorien mad at him now, which he feels kind of bad about because the being is the only company he's got, but his pride is too high to give in and try to make it up to him. But his curiosity is bubbling away inside of him and soon it wins out and Mark can't resist the urge to ask.

"Who's body is it, anyway?" he asks, trying to ignore the way Lorien turns to him looking all smug and self-satisfied at the way Mark was the one to break the silence first. God, he's like a five-year-old. Mark decides to display his dominance by proving his intelligence. "Was it one of the Garde? You know, the numbered people?"

"Yes, I do know," Lorien states, looking slightly amused, and Mark decides that it's a step-up from him being irritated as hell, so there's that, at least. "And, yes, this body does belong to one of them. Only the body of a Garde would physically be able to host me, as well as fully understand who I am and allow me retain my abilities on some level. It was the logical choice."

"…Oh," is all Mark manages to say, before silence reigns over once again.

000

Lorien has been gone for literally thirty seconds when Mark hears the startings of an argument beginning to build up outside. They reached civilisation a couple minutes ago, and it was all well and good until Lorien decided to go out and ask someone where they were. Which Mark warned against, but of course the being didn't listen.

Mark already regrets not trying harder.

Rolling his eyes and climbing out, Mark spots none other than Lorien himself proudly proclaiming something about his age; Mark mentally snorts at the thought, because _being that old is nothing to be proud of, mate._

"I don't care how old you are," an overweight street merchant says, red in the face and looking irritated beyond belief (Mark doesn't blame him, with Lorien around). "I'm not going to give you food for free. You're gonna have to pay, just like everyone else."

"Why _on Lorien_ would I _pay_?" Lorien himself asks, though it's more of a demand, despite the genuine confusion in his voice. Mark blinks in a second, because Lorien saying that is like Mark saying 'oh, for Mark's sake', but the merchant is now turning purple and he decides that now would be a good time to step in.

"What are you doing?" he asks the being, making sure to let some hints of exhaustion and annoyance seep into his tone. "I thought you were going to ask for directions."

"I was," Lorien proclaims, sounding for all the world like that's supposed to make the current situation okay. "And then I remembered that mortals need nutrients, so I decided to get some for you."

Mark would say his thanks, but the way Lorien has said it hasn't really made it sound like a compliment.

"He was stealing it," the merchant grumbles, looking decidedly unhappy about what the being chose to do. "Didn't even try to hide his hand."

Lorien sniffs, looking slightly insulted, if anything – other than that, he seems to think that this whole thing is below him.

"Honestly, who still uses as primitive a concept of _money_?" he asks, and Mark can almost swear he can see a little sneer there. Hopefully, the being will just let it go now, but apparently _of course_ he has to drag it out even further just to humiliate Mark. "And anyway, even though all you mere mortals would appear to, I am above that."

That 'mere mortals' comment is ridiculous – it sounds like something the Mogodorians would say, and all Mark can do is roll his eyes and try not to shout.

"Just shut up and get in the car," he hisses, flushing red as he does so. Honestly, this is just _embarrassing_.

"You cannot tell me what to do, Mark James," Lorien announces, but Mark is sick of dealing with this so he just grabs the being and shoves him inside said vehicle. Lorien puts up surprisingly little resistance, probably thinking himself 'above' that, too.

Mark drives away to try and avoid the glares of the merchant and all the customers that Lorien decided to hold up, because apparently that's a fun thing to do in Lorien's books. Probably calls it 'Lorien Fun' or something equally as embarrassing.

"Did you even find out where we are?" he finally asks, and Lorien's expression is enough to tell him the answer. "Great," he grumbles, but he's smiling despite his frown and damn it all, but he still likes Lorien.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Thanks for reading, and please review! <em>**


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